SMARCOAT · Development of Smart Nano and Microcapsulated Sensing Coatings for improving of Material Durability/Performance

Development of Smart Nano and Microcapsulated Sensing Coatings for improving of Material Durability/Performance

The application of coatings to specific substrates can have different purposes, including protection against aggressive and external factors, enhancement of performance-relevant properties or simply aesthetics. In the case of high-performance coatings it is important not only to have a coating capable of withstanding extreme conditions, allowing the underlying substrate to perform at high level, but also a self-sensing capability that allows the monitoring of substrate condition. In this context the main goal of SMARCOAT is to design, synthesize, develop and scale up a set of innovative materials for sensing substrate degradation. The concept explored in SMARCOAT accounts for a careful design and selection of systems with smart release functionalities. The importance of this project for society can be envisaged from different perspectives. Mobility is a key aspect when considering the demands for supply of goods and accessibility to different places for professional and touristic reasons. On the other hand, the rise of fossil fuel consumption with the consequent detrimental effects for the environment requires the development of new materials capable of imparting significant weight reduction, while keeping good performance throughout the whole service life of the vehicles. This cannot be done only at the level of design of new structural materials, but in an integrative way that accounts for several steps across the whole product life cycle. In SMARCOAT, the focus relies upon improving the detection of degradation of light weight metal alloys and fiber-reinforced plastics, materials which are commonly used in combination as hybrid structures in the aerospace and automotive industries. An early, cost-effective detection of degradation can allow for cheaper yet safer preventive maintenance operations. The overall technical objectives of the project are: -Synthesis and characterization of micro and nanocapsules for controlled release of active species upon stimuli by different triggers; -Incorporation of capsules in different coating formulations and characterization of sensing functionalities; -Correlation between sensing and level of degradation; optimization of coating components to fine tune the desired level of detection; -Study of the coating properties considering different aspects; -Scale up of most promising technologies; -Industrial validation and standard testing.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union